A Secret Love Affair
by NekoChan-1995
Summary: Wren is the current number one amongst the Claymore's, but she didn't get there without a bit of help. When her city was taken by yoma at the command of Isley of the North, he took a liking to her and kept her alive. Now, almost thirteen years later, they are lovers despite her position. The only problem: keeping the relationship a secret. Rated M for blood, guts, and sex later on
1. Chapter 1

Whispering Wren, who had managed to master the quick-sword after learning of it during her training and practicing everyday for a week and had a photographic memory, walked through the small village, the armor on her feet clanking on the stone road as she went. She could sense three separate yoma in the village, but their stench was on everything and nobody was out in the streets so they were difficult for her to spot.

When she got to the town square, she looked around and frowned. "It would be best if you all left your homes and let me pick out the yoma from among you. Then, you would be able to get rid of me sooner." she didn't speak loudly, but she knew she was heard. After several moments of silence, the villagers slowly left their houses and the shops. "That's more like it." She didn't move from where she was standing for a long moment. Then, she she moved took a few steps forward before jumping into the midst of the crowd, drawing her sword all the while, and killed one of the yoma. "There's one. Now, for the others." One of the yoma burst out of the skin of a young woman.

**"You are a tough one."** the yoma growled. **"But, I'm going to enjoy the taste of your guts the same way I've enjoyed so many others."**

** "Back off. I want to enjoy her taste more than you do."** a winged yoma burst out of the skin of a child, causing the villagers to scream in horror.

Wren tsked. "I'd hate for you to kill each other before I have any fun. Can't you work this out from the grave?"

The yoma looked at each other before looking back at her and the winged one spoke. **"She's quite cheeky, isn't she?"**

Wren gripped her sword tightly and leaped over the crowd before landing behind the winged yoma. She used the quick-sword and the yoma was dead at her feet in pieces. She turned to the other, a smile upon her lips. "A useful trick, isn't it? It will kill you in less than thirty seconds." she stated, softly. "Unless you want to prolong this venture?" an eyebrow rose.

**"Bitch!"** the yoma attacked, throwing aside the humans in his way. His hand came down, but instead of making contact, pieces of his hand fell to the ground.

"I'm guessing you didn't think I could kill you." Wren chuckled before slicing the yoma to pieces in about twenty seconds. "Damn. Thought that would be quicker. I must be getting tired." she turned and started leaving the village. She spoke a little louder than a whisper, "A man in black will come to your village shortly after I am gone. Give him the payment. If you don't pay him, your village will never be helped again, even if another yoma attacks. Have a good evening."

XxXxX

"Are you sure you still want to fight her after that display, Brenda?" Jessie, who was ranked number five in the organization, asked. "She didn't become number one in ten months without being impossibly strong."

"I just don't see what's so great about her." Brenda, who was number seven, snapped. "We've been in the organization longer than she has. And what's with her name. Whispering Wren? What does that mean? Just because she never speaks loudly, she has a weird name."

"That's not why she's called Whispering Wren." Jessie stated calmly, watching Wren leave the small village.

"Then why?" Brenda demanded.

Jessie chuckled. "Because you'll never hear her coming. Part of her power is in the surprise of her sudden appearance."

"And the rest?" Brenda asked.

"Pure ability and a photographic memory." Jessie answered. "Anything she sees, she does not forget and she uses every bit of her memory in fighting the yoma and awakened beings. Everything she's seen, she uses against her opponents. Even if you win against her once, you'll never win against her again unless you come up with all new tactics before she demands a second fight."

Brenda scoffed. "You can have the memory of everyone in the world and still not beat me. I'm Brute Strength Brenda."

"You will win no battle against me by strength alone." a quiet voice stated from a tree.

Jessie looked up the tree and smiled. "Whispering Wren. It is good to see you."

Wren nodded her head slightly. "And you, Jessie of the Wind. Tell me, who is your companion this evening?"

"I am Brenda. Number seven in the organization." Brenda looked furious. Probably because she hadn't sensed Wren's approach, Jessie mused.

"I see." a knowing smile touched Wren's lips. "So, you are upset with my number one status and wish to fight for my title. Shall we draw our swords then?"

"Arrogant bitch!" Brenda drew her sword and went for Wren, but instead just succeeded in splitting the tree in two.

Wren was now standing next to Jessie, her sword still not drawn to fight. "Is it really arrogance, though? Just because I know you can't defeat me?" Brenda turned and went to attack her again. Wren's sword stopped the other's blade an inch away from her face. "I suggest you do not continue this fight, number seven. You will not win and I will know and remember all of your attacks for when you demand to fight me again. It's best to wait until you are a bit stronger."

Brenda growled. "I have the most strength of all the warriors! Don't you believe me?"

Wren shrugged, slipping her blade back into its sheath. "I'm not interested either way. I have another job to get to several miles away. We can continue this another time." She walked away, dodging every attack Brenda sent her way.

"She's so arrogant!" Brenda snapped at Jessie.

Jessie chuckled. "No. Just quiet and maybe a little too blunt. I heard from our superiors that she has a rather tragic back story."

"Don't we all?" Brenda rolled her eyes.

Jessie smirked. "She's the last survivor of a fairly large city. Yoma attacked and before our warriors could get there, they killed off the entire time. By the time our warriors got there, only she, a child of eight at the time, was alive. Hiding in a closet. It's said that she was there, in silence, for over a month, sneaking out for food while they were sleeping or fighting each other over the few humans that traveled to the city. Apparently, she got in the habit of silence and never broke said habit. She joined the organization just because she had nowhere else to go."

"So?" Brenda frowned. "I don't see why she has to be that much of a bitch about it."

"Imagine. Living your life in a closet surrounded by hundreds of yoma. None of which you can fight because you are not but a child." Jessie shrugged. "It's just rumor as far as I know, but it's said the yoma were led by an awakened being."

"Riful of the West?" Brenda raised an eyebrow.

"No one knows, though it is known that she volunteers for every assignment that involves us going after Isley of the North." Jessie told her. "She's gone on ten separate missions hunting him, and only she came back unharmed each time, even though she fought with the others."

"Probably because she only dodged." Brenda scoffed.

"Not like it matters. Just thought you would find it interesting." Jessie laughed. "Anyway, let's get going. We both have jobs to do."

XxXxX

"You're finally here, Wren. Did you get held up?" a man asked Wren.

Wren smiled and he enjoyed how her eyes lit up. "A small tussle with one who wants my ranking. But don't worry, I left before I had to use too much energy on her pointlessness. It is good to see you, Isley."

Isley smiled. "You are as sweet as ever, my dear Wren. Did you have fun fighting those yoma I sent for you?"

"They were amusing, but weak." Wren admitted. "Maybe next time you could send someone much stronger than they were?"

"Anything for you, my sweet." Isley played with some of Wren's long, pale blonde hair, before touching her cheek in a gentle caress. He had always admired her beauty. She was only average height, at five foot four inches, but she was blessed with an hourglass figure, long legs, gorgeous silver eyes that had been pale gray before she joined the organization, and a sinful mouth. "How many would you like to fight? I'll find however many you wish."

"How about six or seven?" Wren asked, leaning into his touch. "It will be fun."

"I'll find the strongest ones I have left." Isley chuckled. "You are all for the hunt, aren't you? As long as I've known you, you've been this way."

Wren smiled. "Yes. But, it's just another way to meet you, isn't it?"

Isley kissed her gently. "Yes, it is. As well as those hunts for me you always volunteer for."

"Well, you have to admit the hunts are fun." Wren chuckled. "Though, other warriors are getting suspicious that I'm never harmed during them."

"How could I ever harm you? Even to subdue suspicions." Isley asked. "We've been together longer than you've been a part of the organization. I took care of you as a child surrounded by yoma and I'll continue to care for you, only as a lover now. After all, I'm the only one who can make you raise that pretty voice of yours."

Wren smiled and wound her arms around his waist. "We just can't be noticed. I don't want them sending someone to behead me. It'll be far too much trouble for me to have to kill one of my fellow warriors."

Isley leaned down and kissed her deeply. "Why don't you join me as an awakened being? Then, no one could say anything?"

"I think I'll wait until I'm much stronger. Then, maybe I can match your power better." Wren murmured against his lips.

Isley chuckled. "You just hate having inferior strength, don't you?"

"Of course." Wren smiled. "I don't want to have to rely on your strength forever."

Isley didn't mention that she'd stopped doing that long ago. Instead, he just kissed her again, savoring the taste of her lips. She was his dear, sweet warrior and he would never let her go.


	2. Chapter 2

"You've been disappearing quite often lately, Wren. And you always come back looking quite satisfied." Alec, the man who gave Wren her missions, stated when she arrived at their arranged meeting place a couple of hours later than planned. "Are you thinking of deserting?

Wren just shrugged. "I always come back, don't I?"

Alec smiled. "I suppose. Though, I do worry."

Wren didn't bother confirming or denying his worry. There would be no point, seeing as he wasn't really worried. "What is my next mission?"

"Always blunt. That's not necessarily a good trait." Alec told her. "Your next mission is a hunt for Isley of the North. We want to know if he's still gaining strength. You do like hunting him, don't you? Was he the one that destroyed your city?"

Again, Wren didn't answer what she knew he wanted her to. "Where am I meeting the rest of the party?"

"In the next town. There are four others." Alec told her. "Marcia, number nine, Noelle, number fifteen, Pauline, number twenty-one, and Viola, number twenty-six. Of course, you are the highest ranking and therefore in charge once you get there."

"As it should be." Wren smiled, catching an apple that Alec tossed her way and taking a bite. "It seems I must be going now. I don't want to arrive last."

Alec nodded. "Be careful, Wren. You seem to have a knack for not getting hurt on these hunts and the superiors are getting suspicious. They say Isley has taken a liking to you and refuses to harm you. You don't want such suspicions."

Wren did her best to hide her shock. She hadn't realized the superiors were starting to notice. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Alec just chuckled and left with a wave. Wren finished her apple and started to move along to the next town. It was several miles and she wanted to make sure she was there early so that she could let Isley know about the hunt. He'd saved her life more than once and she wasn't going to let anyone harm him, even if it was her fellow warriors. He'd also cared for her when she was an orphaned child growing up in a city of yoma and she wasn't going to let that care go to waste, especially since she'd fallen in love with him.

She met Isley again about a mile away from the town she was heading to, in the early hours of the morning. She immediately burst into a grin and kissed him gently. "There's a group hunting you starting later today in the town."

"Will you be leading?" Isley asked.

"Of course." Wren smiled, winding one of her fingers in his silver hair. Then, she frowned as she remembered what Alec had said. "You have to hurt me this time though. My superiors are starting to notice and I'm not strong enough yet."

"You ask the impossible of me, my sweet Wren." Isley frowned. "I could never lift a finger against you."

"Nor I you, but the problem remains." Wren sighed and leaned her head against his chest. "You don't have to really hurt me. Just a cut here and there that I won't heal. I'll say they were deeper than they really would be."

Isley lifted her head up with a finger. "I will do as you ask, but only because you are not yet ready to join me."

Wren smiled. "We could always keep up this tryst. It _is_ exciting."

Isley laughed and kissed her deeply. "We could and will, if you wish it. But, don't send out a black card when you reach your limit. Just awaken and join me. You will be beautiful."

"Then let's continue as we are." Wren told him. "I wish I could stay here with you longer, but I have to meet the rest of the hunting party."

"I'll see you later then." Isley kissed her again before letting her go. "We'll have a good fight with your friends. Don't forget to give me the signal when you want me to revert to my awakened form."

"Try not to get hurt." Wren smiled.

Isley chuckled. "I never do."

XxXxX

Viola watched as the other warrior walked into town. She knew somehow that she would never have noticed her. She moved with a deadly softness that spoke of years of silence. Viola wondered who the warrior was, and looked to Marcia, who was the only other warrior there.

"Who is that?" Viola asked.

"That is Whispering Wren. She got the nickname because of how quiet she is, even in a fight. I have never heard her speak much louder than a whisper, but she gets her name because you can't hear her until she's right on top of you." Marcia told her. "You're newer in the organization than she is, so you don't know her. She made number one in ten months due to her extraordinary ability. She mastered the quick-sword by herself in a week and has a photographic memory that she uses to memorize every attack and defense her opponent makes so that she never loses against the same attack twice. This is her eleventh hunt for Isley. She's never come out harmed, so there's a rumor going around that Isley has taken a liking to her, so he doesn't seriously fight her."

"I'm right here, you know." a soft voice stated from the roof next Viola. "And though it is flattering to be subject to rumors, I would appreciate not being spoken about."

"Wren, it's good to see you again." Marcia smiled.

Wren nodded slightly. "Marcia." she turned to Viola. "You must be Viola. You're the only one I've never met. Must be newer than I. Your ranking is twenty-six, correct?"

Viola nodded. "This is my first hunt for an awakened being."

"To start off with Isley is pretty rough." Wren stated, still speaking in a soft voice that was scarcely above a whisper. "But, the rest of us will be sure to give you advice. Marcia, Noelle, and I have fought him before. Myself more often than the others."

"Why is that?" Viola asked.

Wren was silent for a long moment, seemingly deep in thought. "To kill time and challenge myself?"

Viola was amazed. Other than the extraordinary amount of suppressed yoki power within her, Wren seemed to have a deep level of confidence in herself and in her abilities. However, she was sure that if Marcia hadn't explained why she was called Whispering Wren, she would have thought it was because she didn't speak above a soft voice.

"When are the others due to arrive?" Marcia asked.

"Anytime now." Wren stated, resting her chin on one hand. "I'm sure Isley won't show himself until after the whole party arrives. He seems to like to be a gentleman like that."

"How do you know?" Viola asked.

"This is my eleventh hunt for him, as Marcia told you." Wren smiled. "We've gotten . . . well, acquainted during our fights."

"Hey! Anyone here!" another warrior walked into the town.

"Hmm. Seems I haven't met everyone here. I forgot about Pauline." Wren hopped off the roof with a silent grace.

XxXxX

Wren smiled. "Hello. You must be number twenty-one, Pauline. I'm Wren, ranked number one and your leader on this mission. Did you see Noelle on your way in?"

Pauline looked a little shocked. "I thought Gladys was number one?"

"You're a little behind the times." Marcia hopped down. "She was demoted to number two about a month ago. She's no rival for Wren."

"Few are." Wren shrugged.

"Arrogant, aren't you?" Pauline raised an eyebrow. "Well, anyway. Noelle's fighting a yoma. I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"Here." Noelle walked up. "Whispering Wren, are you the leader here?"

"Yes. It is good to see you again." Wren nodded. "Now, we just need to plan a strategy. I'll attack head on. That will distract him. The four of you hang back until I give the signal and then you rush him at once. If he reverts to his awakened form rather than stay in his human form, all five of us will retreat because that's when he'll really be fighting and it's not worth it. This hunt is simply for testing his strength."

Viola hopped down off the roof. "So, shouldn't we continue fighting then? If he's using his full strength, it's best to test it then."

Wren frowned. "No. If we fight in that way, then one or more of us could get killed. It's not worth it. When he gets here, the plan will start."

"How will we know when he's here?" Noelle asked.

"The same way we always do." Wren grinned. "We feel his aura."

Pauline seemed to be judging her. "You respect him."

Wren looked at her. "I respect every great warrior. For, if you don't respect your opponent, you can only underestimate him."

"Well spoken." Isley joined them. "The words of a true warrior."

Wren felt her companions draw back and she flashed a smile at Isley when she was sure they couldn't see. He winked and she drew her sword. "How nice to see you again, Isley."

"Whispering Wren." Isley smirked and she understood just what that smirk meant. She was only 'Whispering Wren' to the organization. When she was with him, he could make her scream. "Tell me, how are you? It's been awhile."

"I didn't join this fight to chat with a monster." Pauline hissed.

"Silence. It's part of the strategy." Marcia snapped.

Wren smirked and attacked Isley. He met her head on and made a few shallow cuts in her stomach and arms. "That's all I'll do, my sweet." he hissed.

"That's all we need." Wren whispered before backing up a step and giving the signals to the others. When the attack was full on, she was going to give the signal to Isley. She worked with her companions, but made sure none of her attacks actually landed a blow. It wasn't until she saw Noelle and Marcia amp up their power to twenty percent that she realized that they were out for blood. She gave Isley the signal and he nodded, almost imperceptibly before reverting to his awakened form, which she thought was beautiful. He looked like a centaur. "You heard my orders earlier. Retreat and let him pass through. We got what we came for."

All but Viola, who's yoki was at fifty percent listened. Isley glared at Wren and she cursed, knowing that if she didn't get the pain in the ass out of there, he was going to kill her. Wren rushed forward and grabbed her by the neck of her armor and dragged her out of the fight.

"What the hell?" Viola demanded.

"When I give an order, I expect every single one of the warriors under my command to obey said order." Wren told her. "Don't ignore orders again or I will leave you to get killed. Do you understand this? Because if not, I have no problem beating it into you."

Viola's yoki power slowly went down. "You're siding with him?"

"No. I'm saving your skin." Wren stated as Isley left. "Now, I have to go give a report. The rest of you rest and eat before leaving. You've all used a lot of power."

As she left, she heard Pauline speak. "She never raises her voice, even when scolding or giving orders. It leaves a strong impression."

"That's the point. Heal your wounds." Marcia sounded calm, but Wren didn't look back to check on her. Her main concern was that Isley wasn't hurt.

XxXxX

Isley waited, in his human form, for Wren to come to him three miles outside of the town. When she got there, he held her tight for a long moment. "Did you heal your wounds?"

"Just before I got here. There was nothing too serious." Wren smiled. "I'm sorry about that little brat. She didn't listen to orders."

"It's fine." Isley told her. "I suspect there won't be any vicious rumors about you for a while."

"Not all are vicious." Wren grinned. "But they are all annoying."

Isley stroked her cheek. "I can understand that."

Wren kissed him. "I have to get going and give my report, but I'll be back tonight so wait here."

"Don't get into trouble." Isley kissed her deeply. "I'll wait patiently."


End file.
